


How are you?

by rosapastel



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosapastel/pseuds/rosapastel
Summary: Dani finally visits Malcolm at the hospital (after the events of episode 11).
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Kudos: 91





	How are you?

Dani waited. Waited a whole week. Seven days until she visited Malcolm. 

It wasn't because she didn't want to or was particularly busy but because she didn't want to bother Bright or his family. Gil insisted that she and JT could stop by anytime, they were his friends after all. JT didn't even scoff or make a remark when he had said it. 

When she did visit, her hands were clammy as she came face to face with the hospital door. The guards at the front of the hallway recognized her and let her pass with ease. Mrs.Whitley wasn't there, Gil had made sure to take her down to the cafeteria, though she doubted the woman would buy food from there. Still, it was better than running into Malcolm's family. She wouldn't really call herself his best friend, yet they were each other's closets companions at work. It made her feel slightly wicked for thinking that way, but she'd gone years without friends, so she didn't know what to make of their friendship.

As she opened the door, she didn't expect to find Malcolm struggling with a granola bar. His eyes shot up at the sight of the door opening. When his eyes met hers, his shoulders seemed to relax, and a wide grin spread across his face. 

"Dani?!" He said in both the form of a question and a statement. 

She'd been afraid to see how the junkyard killer had left him, but he didn't seem too battered up. Just tired but that was usual Bright. Dani offered a small smile as she approached him. "Can I sit?" She motioned to a chair beside his bed. 

"Yes, of course. Mother's practically been living it." He added with a chuckle removing a blanket, but Dani didn't laugh.

"She must have been really shaken up," she recalled hearing that his family had almost been killed. It must have scared them more than his family had probably admitted. Dani had more to say about Jessica's parenting and the way she nursed Malcolm, but that wasn't her place to meddle. 

She sighed. "How are they?"

Malcolm continued to try to tear the granola bar wrapper with his right hand, visibly having trouble without his left. "Here," she reached, opening the vending machine food with ease before handing it back to the childlike Malcolm with his sudden lack of coordination.

"Thanks," he took a bite. "You know I'd taken for granted my non-dominant hand; I mean, I thought I surely don't use it as often as my right … yet I clearly do. It's like the saying. You never know what you have until it's gone." He finished chewing as Dani continue to stare. "To answer your question, they're fine. Ainsley went back to work as soon as the docs checked for a concussion and mom was left unharmed. She's just more mom than usual." 

"I figured," Dani said, glancing around the expensive hospital room scattered with some coats and scarves that could only belong to Jessica. She'd been staying with him for the twenty four hours of the day. The realization was daunting. 

"You don't know how glad I feel when Gil is here, it's the only time she's ever out." Malcolm finished his bar with a third bite. 

Dani, still troubled by the way he was acting, dared to ask. "How are  _ you _ ?"

For such a simple question, Malcolm displayed an array of emotions on his usually masked face. However, they disappeared just as quickly as they had first appeared. In the flash of a second, he was wearing his trademark mask of Thalia. 

"I'm fine." He lied. 

The dark-haired woman could see he didn't even believe his own words. She breathed from her nose, frustrated at his facade. Eventually, he was going to crack, which was more worrisome if it was going to come from someone as eccentric as Malcolm. Dani sighed, lowering her head.

"I heard you were the one that led the team to the camping ground." 

Dani tensed. She looked up, "It was stupid."

"It was a good lead." He reassured her. 

She shook her head, a curl falling in front of her face. "It diverted us from where we should have been looking."

"Dani, there's no way anyone would have known where I was. I didn't even know; I thought we were in the cabin as well." 

Still, she couldn't look at him and his broken hand, she was glad she couldn't see his stab wound. "We could have gotten there in time if I hadn't just jumped to the first clue we had."

His hand shut out and captured her own. Her eyes widen, surprised by his agility despite his condition. She started at his fingers wrapped around her left wrist. "Dani, you were able to get permission from Colette for the extraction, something none of the others would have been able to do. If I were in your place, I would have done the same thing, so stop blaming yourself." 

She only dared to glance once before lowering her gaze back to his arm. "Oh," he pried his hand away. "I'm sorry."

"It's all good." 

"Now, are you going to stop feeling bad about it?" He asked, peering at her even though she hid her face behind her hair. She was glad she hadn't brought it up. 

She nodded, tucking the hair behind her ears when she composed herself, there was no point in arguing. "Dani, I'm serious. I thought we were near a river until I realized it was underground of a completely different place." He exclaimed, laughing at how wild it all was. 

"You've got your discharge date?" She asked, changing the subject. 

His eyes narrowed briefly, but then he sighed. "If all goes well, which it will, I will be out in no time." 

Dani rolled her eyes. "Good, Edrisa won't stop asking about you. You might want to call her when you get discharged." 

Malcolm snorted. "Actually …" He trailed off picking up a vase with flowers on the nightstand of his left. He proudly shoved them on Dani's face making her recoil and flap her hands away from the bright bouquet. "She sent me these." 

She lowly whistled as he set them down on the right nightstand. "How did she know where you were staying?" 

Malcolm's eyebrows furrowed. "I … I don't know. I assumed you might have …"

Dani shook her head. "I didn't."

"Huh." Malcolm cocked his head. "She's resourceful; I'll give her that." 

The room fell into a comfortable silence. Dani waited for Malcolm to say something, but his chattiness seemed to dissipate into the air vents. He didn't want to talk about what had happened. It wasn't her place to push it out of him either, but something was different in Malcolm. 

"I should go." She finally said, standing up. 

To her astonishment, Malcolm looked disappointed. "Oh, uh, alright. Off to work?"

Dani nodded. "If you need anything, you can always send me a message." 

"I'll probably need to replace these flowers once they wither," he pointed to the flowers. 

At that, they both chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it, Edrisa probably has that all covered."

Malcolm pouted, "But you said to message you if I needed  _ anything _ ." He emphasized anything with a goofy grin.

Dani shook her head, doing her best to restrain a smirk. "Okay, how about messaging me when you need _actual_ help."

Malcolm was preparing for a counterattack, but Dani stopped him, letting the jab die on his lips. "That means no flower arrangement deliveries."

"Fine," he said, deflating but keeping his lips upright. "Thank you for stopping by Dani; This has been the most relaxed I've felt all week." He cupped his mouth around his hand and added, "Well, aside from the occasional anti-pain meds."

The NYPD worker finally smiled. "No problem, Bright." 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My first prodigal son fic. Sorry if the characters seem oc!
> 
> P.S. Edrisa sent a bouquet of Camellias and Carnations lol
> 
> Come talk @tigernol- tumblr


End file.
